(no subject)

[applea.livejournal.com]

Hello hello, it's me again!

I search through all of the discussion tag, and I didn't find anything along these lines so I'm going to ask.

What exactly do canon Bertie and Jeeves look like?

I'm sure we've all got our pictures in out heads, Jeeves with his dark hair and head that bulges in the back, Bertie with his willowy physique and somewhat beaky nose, but what lines of text do these pictures originate from? Goodness knows the illustrators all had different ages everywhere, as well as various affinities for monocles and facial hair.


Edited to add: This question is three parts curiosity, wanting to get an closer match in this fic I'm writing, and also because I'm trying to commission the talented Tracy J. Butler to draw our boys. She's the spiffing artist who creates Lackadaisy, which is about booze-running cats in 1920's Louisiana. She drew a couple of her characters in human form, and they sort of match our boys. Made me long for a drawing of her's actually about our lovely lads.

Comments

[haikitteh.livejournal.com]

I don't remember much being said about Bertie's looks, though there is one story from Carry On Jeeves that is told from Jeeves' point of view, and he describes Bertie's responses frequently. Just not his physical build, if I recall correctly. Here's one quote I love:
The guv’nor’s is not one of those inscrutable faces which it is impossible to read. On the contrary, it is a limpid pool in which is mirrored each passing emotion. I could read it now like a book, and his first words were very much on the lines I had anticipated. “Jeeves,” he said, hoarsely,” is that damned car mended yet?”

Jeeves is often described as having chiseled features, as in this excerpt from Thank You, Jeeves:
"But she was looking past me at something to the south-east; and, turning, I perceived that we were no longer alone. There, standing in an attitude of respectful courtliness, with the sunshine playing upon his finely chiselled features, was Jeeves."

I could swear that Jeeves is described as having oiled black hair in one of the earlier New York stories, and as being a bit older than Bertie, but I can't seem to find a quote about it.

Edited to add this quote I found from My Man Jeeves, which describes him as tall and dark:
The moment I saw the man standing there, registering respectful attention, a weight seemed to roll off my mind. I felt like a lost child who spots his father in the offing. There was something about him that gave me confidence. Jeeves is a tallish man, with one of those dark, shrewd faces. His eye gleams with the light of pure intelligence.

[applea.livejournal.com]

Guv'nor? Heeehee, did Jeeves really say that?

Thanks very much old bean! That first quote is as hilarious as it is adorable, and the rest are topping as well. I wish I had more access to the stories so I could find more quotes! I've only got three currently. Your wonderful post has greatly added to my compendium of descriptions.

[haikitteh.livejournal.com]

Yes! Jeeves calls him guv'nor through the whole thing! It's pretty great. It's called "Bertie Changes His Mind" if you haven't read it yet. It's the one where Jeeves steers Bertie to the girls school, to dissuade him from taking up with his sister and her kids. Hilarious! A must-read of the canon.

[softestbullet (from livejournal.com)]

Jeeves calling Bertie's face a limpid pool is the perfect mixture of patronizing and romantic, omg.

[applea.livejournal.com]

Just a few hours ago I found a few of P. G.'s stories online and I found a few bits and bobs. These are all I could find though, and they're only about Jeeves.

Jeeves is a tallish man, with one of those dark, shrewd faces. His eye gleams with the light of pure intelligence.
     -Leave It To Jeeves

A kind of darkish sort of respectful Johnnie stood without.
     -Jeeves Takes Charge

"How does he do it, Bertie?" he said. "I'll tell you what I think it is. I believe it's something to do with the shape of his head. Have you ever noticed his head, Bertie, old man? It sort of sticks out at the back!"
      -Jeeves and the Hard Boiled Egg

[schreckschraube.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in one story Bertie says that Jeeves' head sticks out at the back, but in another it's a "bulging forehead" (boy, he starts to sound like a hammerhead shark...) The bowler hat is book canon.

In that story about the communists Bertie is described as "that tall thin one who has a face like a motor mascot". So, a bit silly, I guess? Hugh Laurie somehow fits that description perfectly ;)

The other thing is that everything is, of course, told from Bertie's POV. He may think his nose is big, but that doesn't mean you have to draw him with a big, hooked nose. At some point he talks about his own "clear-cut face", but I can't figure out what that's supposed to mean.
And he often uses "finely chiseled" as a substitute for "face" in general, and on pretty much any male, so that's not much help.

The good news is that it really doesn't matter too much how you draw them, you just have a lot of freedom.

[applea.livejournal.com]

I just googled 1920's Motor Mascot, and it seems to be the hood ornaments of the day. Back then, they tended to be silver angeles or classic beautiful sculptures. So can we assume Bertie is a looker, classically speaking?

[schreckschraube.livejournal.com]

Could be, but it's not used as a compliment, more an insult...

I googled it at some point, I remember, and what I got was mostly funny little rodents with spanners or the Michelin man - as in, mascots for a certain brand.

[applea.livejournal.com]

Ah, but that's our modern versions. In the 1920's it seems to be mostly winged Johnny's, although I did spot a few horses so maybe that's where the insult comes in? But to be fair, I also spotted a few owls so who knows. Mostly beazels with wings and a limited amount of clothing, and a lot of statues of Hermes.

[with-rainfall.livejournal.com]

I don't have quotes, unfortunately, but i'm chiming in to say how gorgeous J&W would look in that style! <3 I'll definitely be checking out that comic :)

[applea.livejournal.com]

It's a fun comic, with amazing artwork. I just got an email back from her saying that she's a great fan of our boys, but she won't be able to do anything during the summer months due to making a second Lackadaisy book. So it'll be a few months before I can push the old doubloons upon her, but then, pwhoar! Watch out!

[softestbullet (from livejournal.com)]

YOU'RE COMMISSIONING ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS TO DRAW ONE OF MY FAVORITE OTPS. AND HER STYLE IS PERFECT FOR IT. YES YES YES I LOVE YOU!

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

Doesn't Bertie describe himself as willowy in canon? I'm pretty sure he does, which would make him tall and slender. For some reason I picture him with reddish hair, but that could just be from the various illustrations I've seen.

[haikitteh.livejournal.com]

He definitely uses the word willowy. It's when he's describing how he got tricked at the Drones into falling into the pool (which he never really seems to get over!)

I found this quote from Thank You Jeeves:
But I don't look like old Glossop. We're built on different lines. Me – slender and willowy; him ... well, I don't wish to say anything derogatory concerning one who is bound to the aunt of an old friend by ties warmer than those of ... well, what I'm driving at is that you couldn't by any stretch of the imag. call him slender and willowy.

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

That just goes to show that Fry and Laurie were perfectly cast in the roles. :)

Thanks for the quote from Thank You, Jeeves. Now I'm going to dig through my collection and read it.

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

Jeeves has been covered pretty well already, so here are some Bertie odds and ends.

The big nose bit comes from Right Ho, Jeeves:

"Yes. You have a splendid, chivalrous soul."

"Not a bit."

"Yes, you have. You remind me of Cyrano."

"Who?"

"Cyrano de Bergerac."

"The chap with the nose?"

"Yes."

I can't say I was any too pleased. I felt the old beak furtively. It was a bit on the prominent side, perhaps, but, dash it, not in the Cyrano class. It began to look as if the next thing this girl would do would be to compare me to Schnozzle Durante.

"He loved, but pleaded another's cause."

"Oh, I see what you mean now."

There's also a little bit of more flattering description in Joy in the Morning. Here, Boko and Nobby try to talk Bertie into wearing a Pierrot costume:

" . . . You are tall and slim and elegant. 'Elegant' is the word?" he said, putting it up to Nobby.

"Just the word," she assented.

"Another good adjective would be 'willowy.' Or 'sylphlike.' Gosh, I wish I had a figure like yours, Bertie. You don't know what you've got."

I know there is a mention of Bertie's blue eyes in Thank You, Jeeves (I think!), but I'm not having any luck finding it. As far as I know, his hair color is never mentioned. His singing and speaking voice are mentioned in a couple of places, too, and both are described as fairly deep/baritone-ish as I recall.

[applea.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU. I just knew there had to be some out there! You're a marvel.

[wotwotleigh.livejournal.com]

i endeavour to give satisfaction. :D